Field
The present application relates generally to wireless communication systems and more specifically to systems, methods, and devices for authentication during fast initial network link setup within wireless communication systems.
Background
In many telecommunication systems, communications networks are used to exchange messages among several interacting spatially-separated devices. Networks can be classified according to geographic scope, which could be, for example, a metropolitan area, a local area, or a personal area. Such networks would be designated respectively as a wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), local area network (LAN), or personal area network (PAN). Networks also differ according to the switching/routing technique used to interconnect the various network nodes and devices (e.g., circuit switching vs. packet switching), the type of physical media employed for transmission (e.g., wired vs. wireless), and the set of communication protocols used (e.g., Internet protocol suite, SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking), Ethernet, etc.).
Wireless networks are often preferred when the network elements are mobile and thus have dynamic connectivity needs, or when the network architecture is formed in an ad hoc, rather than fixed, topology. A mobile network element such as a wireless station (STA) and an access point (AP) can exchange messages through a process of link setup for utilizing the network. Under certain conditions, many STAs can attempt to use the network during a short period of time. For example, when several STAs move into the vicinity of a new network, the network can experience an increased rate of link setup process collisions creating undesirable latencies in the link setup. Accordingly, there is a need for a fast initial link setup in a wireless communication network.